


Gossip

by Arisprite, username_goes_here



Series: Yuuko Ichihara’s Hitsuzen: Four Star Restaurant and Bar [3]
Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Doumeki's not as much of a gossip as Watanuki thinks, M/M, or at all, the day after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 09:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3973066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arisprite/pseuds/Arisprite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/username_goes_here/pseuds/username_goes_here
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watanuki and Doumeki decide to see each other again. Takes place in the Restaurant AU, the day after their first (second) date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gossip

Watanuki didn’t sleep well that night, and dreamt of running out of noodles at the restaurant and then being crushed by a tomato, which was not terribly abnormal for him but also oddly frustrating and really set him on edge.

He spent the earlier part of the day cleaning an already clean kitchen and finally finishing up the _Star Wars_ DVD he’d started the other day as he folded laundry and tried not to think about…

But how could he _not_ think about that date with Doumeki?

As much as Watanuki tried to distract himself with chores and movies, he found himself obsessing over that date. That first date that was really more like a second date, now that he thought about it. That dinner Watanuki made for him at his apartment seemed really date-like. Not that Watanuki _wanted_ it to be a date! It just seemed like it was.

Oh god, he’d gone on _two_ dates with this Doumeki guy! Two!

Whatever. That was the end of it. Watanuki was _not_ interested.

…

Was he?

Oh god, he might have been. He… Doumeki was actually really interesting to talk to and fun to argue with. He got Watanuki riled up like only Yuuko could before, and he was thoughtful and dammit, he _was_ kind of decent looking from the right angle.

But Watanuki had already resolved to hate him. Before he’d ever met the guy, he was annoyed at him and not having any of it. But now they’d gone out and he seemed not horrible and Watanuki kind of wanted to go out again, but, but, but,

Doumeki still _irritated_ him. His smug looks and stupid face and the way he was just so presumptuous about everything and-

“Dammit!”

In his frustration, he’d almost missed the time.

Watanuki changed quickly, and rushed out the door to head to the restaurant for the day’s shift.

“Luckily no one knows we went out, and no one has to know because we’re never going out again,” Watanuki said to no one in particular as he locked up his bike behind the restaurant, and he was comforted in that fact.

But that comfort lasted no more than a moment.

He entered the building to find that Yuuko was eyeing him funny and some of the cooks and waiters looked way too interested in his entrance.

“I’m only five minutes late,” he said to Yuuko to the side, hoping that’s all this was.

“It’s alright if you’re distracted, we all understand,” she said, more loudly than necessary.

“Understand what?” asked Watanuki, feeling like he was about to be punched in the gut.

“Your date! How did it go?” She clapped her hands, and looked far too excited and yes, there was that punch in the gut.

“What?! No! I didn’t! I didn’t go on a date!”

Sorata showed up from nowhere, as he tended to do, and slung an arm around Watanuki.

“Sure you did! With Doumeki, I heard. You know, he’s a real great guy. You two look good together. He’s quiet though. Dealing with quiet people can be tough, I know how it is; my girlfriend Arashi is quiet, and I-”

“Go back to work,” Watanuki snapped, pushing Sorata’s arm off him and stomping off to his work station.

How had they known? How did they find out about the date? He hadn’t told anyone, and they didn’t see anyone while they were out, and they knew Watanuki got rides home from Doumeki sometimes, but that obviously wasn’t a date and not what they were talking about and-

Dammit. Doumeki must have told them.

Well then. If Doumeki wanted to gossip to the whole restaurant, fine. See if Watanuki went on a second (third?) date with him after that stunt. Maybe if he hadn’t-

“Watanuki?”

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the lovely smile of one Himawari Kunogi.

“Ah, Himawari!” Watanuki smiled as she stopped by his station, always glad to see her.

“Hello, Watanuki! I heard about- oh, was it that bad?”

Watanuki’s smile had quickly turned itself into a frown upon mention (or half-mention) of his so-called date, and Himawari looked upset at it, so he smoothed it out.

“It was…”

“You can tell me if it was, you know. Or if it wasn’t.”

Watanuki pouted and turned back to the vegetables he was chopping.

“It wasn’t horrible. But then he went and told the whole restaurant about it and, well, that’s that. I won’t go again.”

“So you had a good time?” she asked quietly, apparently not focusing on the important part of his response, but picking up on the implication he gave away.

“Yes,” he admitted under his breath.

She smiled, and patted him on the back. “I won’t tell. But if you had a good time, you should think about going again. You two are such good friends.”

“I think not,” Watanuki said, but… Eh, maybe he would go again, at least to solidify the fact that he wasn’t fond of Doumeki, if nothing else. Obviously nothing else, because last night was a weird cosmic fluke, and Watanuki would prove it. And if it wasn’t a cosmic fluke… he’d go from there.

But only after he gave Doumeki an earful about telling everyone.

Himawari shrugged and smiled. “Alright. Whatever you decide.”

Watanuki waved a hand vaguely, and they both got back to their jobs.

~

Doumeki woke with a flutter of nerves in his stomach. He had work today, so he’d have to go back to the restaurant today, and that would mean seeing Watanuki. Their date last night had been up and down, and though it still seemed like it had ended on a good note...he still wasn’t sure what would happen from here.

His roommate, LaVon, rolled over in his bed on the other side of the room muttering protests about Doumeki’s noise as he got up, like he always did. It was Saturday, so Doumeki normally got up earlier and took advantage of the lack of classes to work out, or laze around. Today, he got up and showered, and ate breakfast, savoring every bite of whatever sugary cereal Caleb had bought. Caleb was another roommate, but he hardly ever saw him, and instead kept track of his movements by the black sharpie labeled food in the cupboards, and how empty the packages were at any given moment. 

Doumeki chewed, and read the back of the cereal box, eyes tracing a maze for kids as he chewed. His shift didn’t start until two, so he had some time to finish up the homework for the weekend today, and tomorrow. He wasn’t terribly rushed. 

Doumeki turned his thoughts to the evening before, wondering what Watanuki had thought. He hadn’t even been sure that Watanuki was interested in guys, let alone in _him_ so even him saying yes had been a pleasant surprise. They’d had fun, he thought, though it was hard to tell when Watanuki yelled so much all the time. Maybe he should get earplugs?

“You look strangely un-grumpy, dude.” LaVon emerged from their room, yawning and grabbing a bowl for some of the same cereal. Guess they’d both owe Caleb a new box. LaVon took a bite, and seemed to wake up some from the sugar. “Somebody buy you a pony?” 

Doumeki frowned at him. “A pink one,” he said dryly, taking another bite. LaVon laughed, and lifted his hand. 

“Alright, alright. Keep your secrets. It can’t be weirder than whatever Caleb does all the time.” Which none of them actually knew. Even Sam, their final roommate, who shared a room with Caleb, never knew what he was up to. 

Doumeki went to work later that day, still in the vaguely nervous and mildly excited mood he’d spent the day in. He entered the kitchen, still tying on his apron, when he felt the wave of eyes turn towards him. That was...unusual. Somebody in the back whispered, and then Himawari came past him carrying a tray, and everyone went back to their jobs. 

“Did you have a good weekend, Doumeki?” she asked, and Doumeki frowned at hers and everyone’s odd behavior. 

“Uh, yeah,” he said, and laughter went up. Doumeki moved in further to put away his bag, and begin his shift, but he stalled at the food prep station, where Watanuki was furiously chopping vegetables. His face was red, and he seemed more annoyed than usual, so maybe he knew something. “Do you know what’s going on?” he asked, forgoing a usual greeting. 

“As if you don’t know,” Watanuki snapped at him, not looking up. Doumeki fingered the strap of his bag, confused. 

“Uh, I don’t,” he said. Another server walked by and clapped him on the shoulder, eying him and Watanuki. Doumeki began to understand what they were teasing about. They’d found out about their date. But he didn’t understand why Watanuki seemed mad at /him/-?

“You told them, didn’t you?” he asked, finishing up the onions he was chopping, and sweeping them into a bin, ready to cook. “They all know because you told them,” he sounded terribly unhappy, and he was chopping (now) peppers with a harshness he wasn’t used to. 

Doumeki lifted his brow. “About our date?” 

Watanuki growled, and his ears reddened. “Yes. Yes, they know. So, thank you for advertising that,” he said. Doumeki frowned, feeling defensive. He hadn’t even been here first that day. Doumeki could have just as easily accused Watanuki of telling everyone, not that he cared much. 

“I didn’t tell anyone,” Doumeki replied, in a flat tone, offended. 

Just then, Yuuko swept over, wearing her long skirts and heels that Doumeki privately thought were a little impractical for the restaurant kitchen. She managed well enough though.

“Good morning, you two!” she said, smiling at both of them (which always gave Doumeki the unsettling impression that she was going to eat him), “Did you both have fun last night?” Watanuki spluttered, and she leaned her hip against Watanuki’s cutting station, poking his shoulder.

“Oh, Watanuki, you shouldn’t be surprised, when it was you who was crowing about it outside the restaurant the night he asked you!” she said. Watanuki froze. 

“You- you shouldn’t eavesdrop on other people’s conversations!” 

Yuuko waved her hand. “Oh, don’t worry so much! Everyone here’s supporting you! When’s the next date?” Yuuko asked. Loudly. Doumeki was thinking he should probably put his bag away, and start doing his work, but her hand caught his elbow, and she was grinning evilly. 

Watanuki set his knife down hard, and spun around to face Yuuko, his face looking legitimately mad. 

“Firstly, Yuuko, that is my private life. You don’t need to go yelling about it to all of my coworkers! If I want to go on a date with him again, I will, and I don’t need everyone to know! If I don’t want to, I won’t, and they don’t need to know that either! And secondly, I don’t know! You don’t plan a date on a date, you know!” 

Doumeki’s eyebrows were raised. Yuuko chuckled, and pinched Watanuki’s cheek too quickly for him to swat it away. 

“Such a temper. Be sure not to take it out on our poor Doumeki here.” And she sauntered off. 

Watanuki waved her hand away after the fact, like he could get rid of some scent she left behind, before angrily turning back to his chopping. Doumeki was turning to go finally put away his bag, taking what he thought was the wiser course of not trying to follow up that conversation with any remarks of his own, when Watanuki spoke. It was a little too quiet for him to be sure of what he’d said. 

“Huh?” 

“I said I’d pay next time,” he said again, looking around quickly. He was still red faced, but he looked less angry. Maybe. 

“Oh.” Doumeki blinked slowly, as he took in that Watanuki _did_ want to go out with him again. And pay, no less. That was...surprising. He was glad though, he discovered. He really was. “Okay.” 

“Check the schedule. Pick a day. And get to work, dammit, your shift started already!” 

Doumeki smirked and moved off, starting on his assignments. If he’d been anyone else, he would have been smiling. As it was, everyone may have noticed that he was decidedly ‘ungrumpy’ today.


End file.
